Confidence - Trust or faith in a person or thing
Here’s what the world is trying to get you to believe. And some of us are buying into it.
· Confidence builds life.
· You can have whatever you want with self-confidence. You’ll go just as far in life as your self-confidence will allow. To a large extent, your life is a reflection of your confidence.
· With confidence, you can seize the moment and take advantage of opportunities that come your way. With confidence, your dreams and visions can become real. With confidence, you can live the life you want.
· Having self-confidence is a matter of choice.
· Lack of confidence is always a matter of choice. You have to choose to not have confidence.
The motivating professionals will also give us four components that are said to help us build our self-confidence. And while they maybe on target, they are missing the bull’s eye.
(Example: dart throwing and hitting the center)
They have the right points they are just pointed in the wrong direction.
Let me show you what I mean:
1. Trust is one component of self-confidence.
Like esteem, a big part in having confidence is trusting yourself, knowing you can cope with whatever life throws at you.
2. Courage is another component of self-confidence. Courage is not being fearless. Courage is admitting your fears. Confident people are aware of their fears. Confident people admit their fears and act in spite of them. Cowards deny their fears and don’t act because of the very fears they deny. It takes courage to admit your fears, and even more courage to stand up to those fears.
3. ’Letting things be different’ is a component of self-confidence.
Confidence also knows that whatever happened in the past, it could all be different now. Just because you failed before doesn’t mean you will fail this time.
4. The fourth component of self-confidence is hope.
Hope is a combination of expectation and anticipation. Expectation is what you honestly expect to happen - not what you want to happen or wish would happen.
While all of these components of confidence sound good and are actually right to a certain degree, there is one huge problem with all of this.
(Go back and read the points again emphasizing “self”)
When you put all of your TRUST, COURAGE, FORGETTING THE PAST, and HOPE in yourself, you are setting yourself up for a big let down.
· Not only will you let yourself down but also this world can affect your self-confidence.
· People will affect your self-confidence level
· Circumstances will affect your self-confidence level
So what is the answer?
I don’t have high self-esteem
I don’t have confidence in myself
Here it is:
Your confidence can’t be in “self” – it has to be in GOD!
And the bible is very plain about that too!
Phil. 1:26
“…That your confidence may about in Christ Jesus”
Phil. 3:3
”For we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.”
Let’s go back and look at the four components in this different light.
1. Trust
Psalms 56:11
“In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid…”
Why? Because He is in control!
I know myself. I cannot trust myself.
When I am tempted, if I trust myself, I will give in every time. This is not something I can do on my own.
(Example: drinking or smoking)
2. Courage
Psalms 27:14
“Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage, Yes wait for the Lord.”
John 16:33
“These things I (Christ) have spoken unto you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage, I have overcome the world.
Our courage or boldness is only found in Christ.
(Example: the fear of talking in front of groups until you got into church. Or singing in front of people)
3. ‘Letting the past be the past’ –
We have talked about this. You have no control over this by yourself.
· You will continue to throw it up into your own face when you are let down
· It’s my fault
· It’s the fault of how I was raised
· It’s my parents’ fault
And this is what they try to get you to believe.
Let’s quit applying blame and get past it! And your confidence in the Lord is the only way to achieve this.
Philippians 3:13
“…Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.”
4. Hope
What hope does this world have?
What hope do you have in yourself?
What hope do you have in your death?
You have none unless it is found in Christ Jesus!
· You can hope that your bills will be paid
· You can hope for a better future
· You can hope for a better job
· You can hope with expectation or anticipation…
But putting the hope inside of you will get you nowhere.
Baptist Hymn
My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand.
You can have confidence!
You can have high esteem!
As long as it is in Christ Jesus!
We need to continue to remove “self” out of every form of speech and action that we take everyday.
“Self” is what gets you into trouble. God is the only One who can get you out.
